Mashaba says ANC no confidence motion is ‘frivolous’

South Africa

Friday 10 November 2017 - 3:13pm

File: Mayor Herman Mashaba says the ANC’s motion lacks substance and was nothing more than a smokescreen. ANC tabled a motion of no confidence against Mashaba and the Speaker of Council, Cllr Vasco da Gama.
Photo: eNCA

JOHANNESBURG – Mayor Herman Mashaba on Friday dismissed the no confidence motion tabled by the African National Congress (ANC) as “another frivolous motion”.

Mashaba, who is a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), said: “Today, the ANC has once again decided to table motions of no confidence against the Speaker of Council, Cllr Vasco da Gama, and myself.

“Since the ANC first tabled its motions, we have welcomed the opportunity to defend our record in cleaning up the corrupt mess that we inherited from the ANC.”

\The mayor has previously ruffled feathers with his stance to evict illegal foreign nationals in the city. Mashaba’s claims that the previous administration led by the ANC was mired in corruption have not gone unchallenged.

Undeterred, Mashaba on Friday said: “The last motions tabled by the ANC were deemed inadmissible by the City’s Programming Committee as the call for a secret ballot was in direct conflict with the Standing Rules of Council”.

He said despite being granted an opportunity to amend the motions, so as to bring them in line with the Standing Rules of Council, the ANC elected to take the matter to court on an urgent basis. The court found there was no basis for the ANC’s application.

The mayor said the court correctly struck the ANC’s application from the roll and awarded punitive costs in favour of the City.

“As I have stated before, the ANC’s motions have nothing to do with protecting good governance and ensuring service delivery to residents. Rather, these are the actions of a party only interested in self-gratification and continuing the corruption which allowed them to rob the residents of this City blind,” said Mashaba.

“The evidence of this can be seen in the poor management of the City’s infrastructure and deteriorating services ran by the former ANC administration.

He said the ANC’s motion lacks substance and was nothing more than a smokescreen. “It is unfortunate that the ANC will use Council’s time and taxpayer’s money in their mission to further enriching themselves. I look forward to debating their frivolous motions in the coming Council sitting.”